Butia yata X Butia x syagrus

[Gallop]

Thought I would share an update on my Yata x Mule.

I noticed it flowering and I’m curious if the seed will be sterile like the common mule palm? 

[LeonardHolmes]

Beautiful palm!

[Fusca]

On 6/8/2023 at 8:20 AM, Gallop said:

Thought I would share an update on my Yata x Mule.

I noticed it flowering and I’m curious if the seed will be sterile like the common mule palm? 

Very nice palm!  The Butia yatay is the most attractive species in my opinion.  It's likely that you will get sterile seed.  From what I understand the vast majority of hybrids with Syagrus in the mix don't produce viable seeds.  If you find any embryos in the seeds let us know!

[RJ]

Hoping to get mine in the ground here shortly 🤞

[Gallop]

1st flower bract opened. There are 3 more..

[Hillizard]

Last night I discovered a spathe on my Butia yatay. This will be its 1st bloom. Hope its flowers are as colorful Gallop's (above)! I got the plant at least a decade ago from Phil/JM. That's a Trachycarpus 'nova' to the right.  I'll be interested in tasting the fruit of this Butia too. I didn't find B. odorata (capitata?) fruit that flavorful in the past. Also noticed that RPS is again offering seeds of the "Purple Yatay Palm" (Butia purpurascens). Too bad the importation process paperwork/permits are such a chore or I'd get some. I had a nice one that was several years old but didn't survive the transition from pot to ground. 

And... my Dais cotinifolia (a small South African tree) is putting on quite a show of pink blooms this spring. Too bad the leaves scorch so badly by mid-summer.

 

[Hillizard]

On 6/20/2023 at 12:18 PM, Hillizard said:

Last night I discovered a spathe on my Butia yatay. This will be its 1st bloom. Hope its flowers are as colorful Gallop's (above)! I got the plant at least a decade ago from Phil/JM. That's a Trachycarpus 'nova' to the right.  I'll be interested in tasting the fruit of this Butia too. I didn't find B. odorata (capitata?) fruit that flavorful in the past. Also noticed that RPS is again offering seeds of the "Purple Yatay Palm" (Butia purpurascens). Too bad the importation process paperwork/permits are such a chore or I'd get some. I had a nice one that was several years old but didn't survive the transition from pot to ground. 

And... my Dais cotinifolia (a small South African tree) is putting on quite a show of pink blooms this spring. Too bad the leaves scorch so badly by mid-summer.

 

 

Spathe opened and displayed the inflorescence with yellow flowers on my B. yatay. Too bad the flower colors weren't purple or red! Bees don't seem interested yet either.

[Jeff zone 8 N.C.]

Maybe you should put out a little honey near the flowers. Also do you have squirrels? Have never had a problem with them myself but just figured out last summer why a really silvery blue Butia, near me, produced flowers abundantly but never dropped seed. Caught a squirrel munching down on the infant seed. tried to run him off but he was defiant. 

Edited July 7, 2023 by Jeff zone 8 N.C.

[Hillizard]

On 7/6/2023 at 5:56 PM, Jeff zone 8 N.C. said:

Maybe you should put out a little honey near the flowers. Also do you have squirrels? Have never had a problem with them myself but just figured out last summer why a really silvery blue Butia, near me, produced flowers abundantly but never dropped seed. Caught a squirrel munching down on the infant seed. tried to run him off but he was defiant. 

Yes, I have native Calif. gray squirrels, but they don't seem interested in the palms. They like the sunflower seeds I put out for the birds and they like to chew on the trunks of my citrus trees.😠 It looks like something is pollinating the B. yatay flowers as fruits are forming.